I hummed, my song echoing around the bottom of the amphitheater. “By continuously calling me human, you only made things worse. ‘You’re a Constellation, and I’m just human.’ It seems that was the thought you were trying to implant in my subconscious... but my heart is already full for any more bullshit to sprout.”[1] “You,” Mutia hissed, gritting her teeth. “Do you think you can make any difference because you’ve earned a place on the edge of the Milky Way! You don’t even have an authority of your own, so how dare—” “Many things change, actually. I’m sorry, but it’s time for you to keep your end of the contract.” That wasn’t my voice, nor did it belong to any of the two hundred apostles lying in the amphitheater either. It wasn’t the voice of the Guardian, the holy sword, my fox god, or Mutia. I’ve heard that voice somewhere before. However, I couldn’t quite place a face on the voice. On the other hand, Mutia seemed to know immediately who the voice belonged to. “You freaking magician...” the Constellation of Gold growled, looking at the sky. “Not yet! It’s not over yet! The time for the preemptive strike I requested is still valid!” “That validity period isn’t set in terms of time. You know it, I know it, and all the executives of the Tower know it, Lady Cow. When you start messing with time, it’ll never end.” Looking up from underground, the sky appeared cut out in a circle, as if a hole had been punched through it. In the center of the hole, a person dressed in loose-fitting clothes floated in the air and looked at us. “Your surprise attack is only valid until the Death King remains unaware of his own Ascension. Now that he has realized it, there is no longer any advantage for you to gain.” The speaker held an abnormally long, thin staff with her middle, ring, and pinky fingers. Perhaps she was a mage. Though the staff seemed fragile enough to break with a single touch, the mage swung it skillfully. [The Sixth Pillar, Primordial Staff, has appeared.] Only after hearing the message did I clearly remember where I had heard her voice before. She was the same as the Mirage-Walking Princess. The mage was one of the Pillars, the Tower master’s six subordinates who managed this Tower and convened during meetings to discuss issues whenever problems arose. “Hm.” The Primordial Staff glanced sideways and met my gaze. “It’s been a while, Weasely.” “Weasely? Are you talking about me?” “Ever since you were a greenhorn, you’ve been using underhanded tricks to convene us to a meeting. You’re a weasel, so you’re Weasely to me. I’m having fun because I get to insult you, and don’t you feel good to earn a cute, insulting nickname? It’s a win-win, mutually beneficial form of communication.” I didn’t think I had such a preference. “You and I have quite a lot to talk about,” the Primordial Staff said quietly. Her voice was like a pencil without its lead. There was no hostility or malice in it. It was ordinary, like time itself, and as bland as water. She tapped the air with her staff. “Let’s talk after I wrap this up.” That was when the sky shattered like glass. “No!” Mutia screamed. “I can’t accept this! I object! Call a meeting! Convene the Pillars! I, the Ruin-Harvesting Cow, demand that this matter be added to the agenda immediately and that a decision be made on how—” “Declined,” the Primordial Staff answered immediately. “We’ve already given someone who has just completed his Ascension too many disadvantages because of your requests, Mutia and Hishimit Kritz.” The sky, dyed red, shattered into countless fragments that flew in all directions. As the wind blew, the red fragments swirled around, making it seem as though the sky itself was bleeding. [The Ruin-Harvesting Cow’s power has been suspended.] [The Time Chain that was holding down your growth has released you!] The sky was shedding its skin. [The Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye’s power has been suspended.] [The Partial Information Distortion on your received messages has been lifted!] The sky, stripped of its skin, was an endless black void. There was no sun, no crescent moon, no Milky Way—only pitch-black darkness. In the black sky, a blue-scaled serpent lurked. “Damn it!” the serpent cursed. Like waves crashing on the night sea, their dark blue scales rippled. The serpent was huge enough to fill a corner of the sky, spreading out like the sea in the absence of the Milky Way. The serpent’s eyes were triangular. Unlike humans, who had white sclerae and black pupils, the massive serpent had black sclerae and bright blue pupils. “I knew it! That cowhead said that we had a chance if we struck him before he realized he was a Constellation. It’s my fault for listening to that fool!” A corner of the Guardian’s mouth twisted as he crossed his arms. —This is getting interesting. That’s Hishimit Kritz, and their title is Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye. Information distortion, manipulation, and exposure, Riddles, contradictions, labyrinths, and secrets. That’s what their power is about. They acted like they were interested in you, Zombie, but I guess it was all a feint. Only then did I realize the truth behind this fight. In the pitch-black night, I traced a crescent moon on my lips in pity for the lack of moonlight. “Aha... The two Constellations conspired to attack me before I could grow stronger and awaken to my power as a Constellation. One of you controls time, and the other controls information. With your teamwork, I didn’t even hear the message that I became a Constellation. What a match.” The serpent bared their fangs with their head turned upside-down, giving Mutia a terrifying glare. “Hmph! Your arrogance messed up the plan, so deal with this yourself!” “What?” she asked back in disbelief. “I don’t know anything!” Blue fire wrapped around the serpent. They tucked their tail and fled. [The Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye has escaped to their world!] Left alone underground, Mutia spat blood and shouted, “Y-you fool! After I’m taken down, the next target is you! It’s you! We must settle this here, whether we live or die! Do you think you can last more than six days even if you flee now?! Do you think you’ll enjoy power longer than one day? Even death won’t be able to help you with your idiocy!” “Well, I can just rest for a day and go up to the higher floor,” I commented as I watched her. Mutia was at a loss for words. I grinned. “If a day seems too short, shall I take a break for a full week? After all, you two allied just to capture me. It wouldn’t be right for the two of you to fall out. I’ll make sure you two will get along one way or another.” “I’ll hear why you two teamed up to attack me later... or maybe I can find that out on my own.” I was basically saying that I could capture the Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye and beat the information out of them. Mutia also seemed to have understood my message. Her grip on the hammer faltered a bit. “Surrender. I can’t promise to accept your surrender unconditionally. I’ll take what is owed to me, but I won’t make your punishment worse because you ambushed me while pulling the wool over my eyes. I promise.” Hesitation flickered in Mutia’s eyes. She had prepared five or six strategies to defeat me, but now she was truly defeated. With the Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye having abandoned her and fled, Mutia had few options left. My offer of surrender reduced those options to just one. “What do you want?” Mutia asked quietly. I stated the most obvious condition first. “Goldencup. Give up Sylvia Evanail to my custody completely. Never try to take her again. Don’t object to the fact that she belongs to my clan.” Mutia’s lips trembled. Neither “yes” nor “no” came out. We both knew that this was only the first of many demands to come. “You also have to help me defeat the Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye. What world does that Constellation live in? How can I defeat them with ease? Tell me everything you know.” Mutia’s lips still did not utter a word of affirmation or rejection. The second demand was also quite easy. Hishimit Kritz had betrayed Mutia first. There was nothing easier than betraying a betrayer. Because it was such an easy condition, Mutia would have guessed that more difficult conditions were still to come. “Is there more?” she asked. “Kneel. Kneel in front of your apostles. Show them that I’m stronger than you, I defeated you, and you have surrendered to me.” Blood leaked out from Mutia’s mouth. It wasn’t from biting her lips but from her teeth grinding so hard against her gums that the gums couldn’t hold back the blood from the wounds between her canines and molars. “A Constellation like you has a certain aesthetic,” I continued. “Perhaps it’s better to call it a set of rules, a form of self-discipline. The excuse that ordinary humans might make—that even though I’m on my knees, my heart remains undefeated—doesn’t work for you.” For more chapters visıt 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚫𝙣𝙚𝙩 It was similar to pride yet different. A Constellation was an entity composed of power. Perhaps their power was the very reason Constellations existed. Power was like a human’s heart—the core of their being. I had the Skill of regression, and Mutia was a Constellation of regression. Having Mutia kneel before me was like a general being defeated by another general or a musician submitting to another musician. It was the acknowledgement of my superiority over hers within the same domain. Could the Guardian ever kneel before another swordsman? Even if he did, could he still claim to be the emperor of swords, the greatest swordsman of all time? The condition I presented to Mutia was worth an immeasurable amount of gold—the weight of a life. “I’ll take the remaining horn you have left.” I fixed my gaze on her. “I’ll give you three minutes.” Silence as still as death settled over the depths of the artificial hell. Just before one hundred sixty seconds passed, a single sound echoed, making the silence even more eerie. [The Ruin-Harvesting Cow has activated her power.] [Your Exclusive Music Box has activated their power.] I noticed what Mutia was trying to do: She was trying to stop time because she couldn’t decide within one hundred eighty seconds. She needed more time to think, so she tried to extend the time, despite being denied it. However, my fox god thwarted her attempt. Thus, her uncollected thoughts flowed out between the gaps of her fingers. She mumbled, “I, Mutia and the Ruin-Harvesting Cow...” Cracks formed where Mutia kneeled, and five holes formed where she planted her fingers in the ground. The blood flowing from her lips trickled down her jawline and fell, drop by drop, into the holes. “... surrender... to the Scream-Gathering Sky.” “Yes.” I nodded as I looked down at the Constellation, who was pressing her forehead against the ground. “Then I’ll ask you, Mutia. Why did you conspire with Hishimit Kritz to attack me?” There was a moment of silence. The holes that her fingers dug grew deeper, and more blood flowed into them. By the time the ground turned a little redder, Mutia said, “You have a connection with us.” “We met for the first time today.” “But from the very beginning, our paths have been intertwined.” I tilted my head in confusion. “How?” Mutia gave me a completely unexpected answer. “The Returner’s Clockwork. The ones who created your regression Skill are me and Hishimit Kritz.” 1. Wordplay: The raw uses 볶아 먹기 which can mean both to fry and mess with a person ☜